My older posts emphasize the benefits of social media, especially when used to alert and incite the masses or to establish and maintain a brand. Though such platforms do a world of good for millions of individuals and organizations, I would be remiss not to draw attention to the dangers of social media mismanagement. Be forewarned; new media are capricious animals. One misguided tweet or compromising post can kill a career in a heartbeat. Don’t just take my word for it; consider follies of the following social media ne’er-do-wells:
Gilbert Gottfried: In March 2011, Gottfried was canned from his role as the Aflac Duck after he tweeted a series of insensitive remarks in reference to the 8.9 earthquake in Tohoku, Japan.
Miss New Jersey, Amy Polumbo: The pageant queen’s reputation took a damaging blow in June 2007 when an anonymous blackmailer threatened to release compromising photos that were retrieved from her Facebook profile. Though she retained her crown, her reputation suffered irrevocable damage.
Rashard Mendenhall: The starting running back for the reigning AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers tweeted controversial remarks that concerned the death of Osama bin Laden and questioned the events of September 11, 2001. Mendenhall and the Steelers organization faced weeks of backlash from the media and disgruntled NFL fans.
Anthony Weiner: C’mon… His name is Weiner! Need I say more?
Let these wretched souls remind you of the carnage that social media exposure can do to your career, or better yet, your reputation. Take the little birdie’s advice; think twice before you tweet!
Social media provide the opportunity for self branding and promotion, not only for those who are already in the media spotlight, but also people looking to further their career or network with others. Social media is a powerful tool though and has to be used properly or else it will cause countless problems in your career and/or personal life. It is important to remember that even though you are writing or posting on Facebook, a blog or twitter doesn't mean that there aren't repercussions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, it is a two-edged sword. People need to be careful with what they post, and how they use it. Social media, although a very useful platform for self expression, one must know how to represent themselves. Specially for those of us in the PR field, this could easily haunt us one day and we end up regretting what we have posted in the past.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a double-edged sword here ... by saying whatever provocative thing you want you're going to endear yourself to a certain loyal crowd, but when those comments leave your safe circle they can become damaging. So, do we neuter ourselves or just say to hell with everyone else? Probably somewhere in between is right.
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